Introducing BLAZE (bikeradar)
A University of Brighton student has developed a safety device that projects a bright green laser image of a bike onto the road ahead – alerting motorists to their presence.
via BikeRadar
Emily Brooke’s invention – BLAZE – is a small, battery-powered device attached to the handlebars which projects a laser image ahead onto the road ahead. A bright green bicycle symbol travels ahead of the cyclist, alerting others to its presence. She worked with road safety experts, Brighton & Hove City Council, the Brighton & Hove Bus Company and driving psychologists in developing the light, which is visible in daylight.
Brooke, who is in the final year of her Product Design course, told BikeRadar she believed the design was a really simple idea which could make a huge difference to the safety of cyclists on our roads.
“I wanted to tackle the issue of safety of cyclists on city streets by increasing the visibility, footprint, and ultimately the awareness of the bicycle,” she said. “Eighty per cent of cycle accidents occur when bicycles travel straight ahead and a vehicle manoeuvres into them. The most common contributory factor is ‘failed to look properly’ on the part of a vehicle driver. The evidence shows the bike simply is not seen on city streets.
“Even when lit up like a Christmas tree a bicycle in a bus’s blind-spot is still invisible. With BLAZE, you see the bike before the cyclist and I believe this could really make a difference in the key scenarios threatening cyclists’ lives on the roads.”
BLAZE will be on show along with other final-year student inventions at an exhibition in the Creativity Suite at the university’s Moulsecoomb campus today (6 June). For more information, For more information, click here.
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How To Buy A Bike (repost from nbda.com)
First, give some thought to what kind of riding you want to do, your level of experience, and your overall approach to cycling. Why do you want to ride? For fitness? Just for fun? Casually, or seriously? Where do you want to ride? Street, bike trail or off-road? How frequently do you plan to ride? The more you know what you want, the easier it will be to work with your local bike store to select a bicycle which will best suit your needs.
At most bike stores, you’ll probably be seeing these kinds of bicycles:
- Mountain bikes. These are rugged bikes for off-road use, but many people ride them on pavement as well. Mountain bikes feature fat knobby tires for comfort and traction, flat bars for great control, and low gears for easier hill climbing. Some mountain bikes have suspension for increased shock absorption. Do you need suspension? It depends on how and where you plan to ride.
- Road bikes. These are meant for pavement riding, and are built for speed. They have narrower tires and drop bars for a more aerodynamic position.
- Hybrid bikes. These are a cross between mountain bikes and road bikes — for the rider who wants to do a little of everything. Hybrids generally have treaded tires which are narrower than mountain bike tires, flat bars, and higher gearing than mountain bikes. They’re not quite as fast as road bikes on pavement, and not quite as rugged as mountain bikes on the road. They’re good for commuting, and offer a compromise which appeals to a lot of people.
- Cruisers. One-speed or multi-speed, cruisers are for the casual rider who wants to, well, cruise.
- Juvenile bikes. These come in many varieties, from one-speed cruisers, to performance BMX bikes, to multi-speed mountain and road bikes.
- Comfort bikes. These are specialized mountain bikes or hybrids with more upright riding positions, softer saddles and lower gearing. They’re built for, as the name implies, comfort, but are also designed to perform well.
- Recumbents/tandems/electric assist bikes. There are numerous “niche” bicycles available today. Recumbents allow people to ride in a “recliner-chair” position with feet forward. Tandems allow two riders on a bike. Also, a number of companies are offering bicycles with electric-assist motors.
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